Florida was the first part of the continental U.S. to be visited by Europeans. Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon gave it its name, meaning "flowery land."
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Despite its "Sunshine State" nickname, Florida is not the sunniest U.S. state. Arizona is, closely followed by Nevada.
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Florida is the 3rd most populous state in the U.S.
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Wherever you are in the state of Florida, you're never more than 60 miles from the nearest body of salt water.
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Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida and the largest city by area in the contiguous U.S.
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In 1994, a 75-pound bag of cocaine fell out of a plane and landed in the middle of a Florida crime watch meeting.
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In Florida, it's against the law for a person to appear in public clothed in liquid latex.
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A 13-year old boy in Florida was once arrested for excessive farting in school.
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Millionaire Harris Rosen adopted an urban neighborhood in Florida, giving all families daycare, boosting the graduation rate by 75%, and cutting the crime rate in half.
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In 2002, a 15-year-old boy, inspired by 9/11, stole an airplane and flew it into a skyscraper in Tampa, Florida. He was the only death.
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In 2009, an accused Florida man said his cat downloaded child porn, not him.
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You can legally smash a car window to save pets from overheating in Florida.
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It's illegal to fall asleep under a hair dryer in Florida, even if you're the salon owner.
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Contrary to popular belief, Kansas is not the flattest state in the U.S. Florida is.
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Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no oranges in Florida, no bananas in Ecuador, no potatoes in Ireland, no coffee in Colombia, no pineapples in Hawaii, no rubber trees in Africa, no tomatoes in Italy, and no chocolate in Switzerland.
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Florida has 131 public airports.
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Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings in the world.
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US$1.96 billion worth of boats were sold in Florida in 2013, the leading state in boats.
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In Florida, executions are carried out by a private citizen who is paid $150 per execution.
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Shark attacks are more common in Florida then voter fraud.
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You have to be a retired letter carrier to live in Nalcrest, Florida. Ironically, the town does not have mail delivery service.
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